Sign up here: https://play.phenompoker.com/register?r=Table1
OR... come play with us in Las Vegas at Table 1: https://table1.vegas
In this episode of The Table 1 Podcast, Art Parmann and Justin Young sit down with renowned poker pro Ryan LaPlante for an unfiltered deep dive into the grinder’s life.
Ryan opens up about sneaking online poker sessions as a teen, the “Moneymaker effect,” and how dropping out of college set him on the path to poker stardom. He discusses moving across North America to chase the dream, overcoming challenges growing up gay in a traditional environment, and building community through forums and coaching.
You’ll hear candid insights into tournament swings—odd jobs, finding stable internet, and bankroll variance. Ryan breaks down the backing model, why coaching became both passion and safety net, and why multiple income streams matter for today’s pros.
The conversation gets personal: being an openly gay figure in poker, balancing business ventures and mentorship, and future aspirations beyond the felt. We close with goals for the next chapter, inside stories about his bracelet win, and advice for grinders navigating an ever-changing industry.
Come Play Poker with us online & Get a 150% Deposit Bonus!
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OR... Come play with us in Las Vegas at Table 1! (https://table1.vegas)
Episode 98: Cary Katz
In this episode of The Table 1 Podcast, Art Parmann and Justin Young sit down with poker legend and PokerGO founder Cary Katz — one of the few players who pretty much invented high roller tournaments. Cary opens up about everything from launching a $20 billion student loan empire to accidentally starting the high roller poker boom.
Why he trademarked “Embrace the Tism,” and how he made 75 of his employees millionaires. You’ll hear stories about the origins of PokerGO, backing Bryn Kenney through his insane heater, and the real reason he plays poker today. It’s one of the most candid, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt conversations we’ve ever had at Table 1.
Show Notes
Cary's Links:
https://PGT.com
https://PokerGO.com
https://x.com/CaryKatz
Table 1 Links:
What is Table 1? https://table1.vegas
150% Deposit Bonus at Phenom Poker: https://play.phenompoker.com/register?r=Table1
Art's Links:
Rounders To Founders - https://rounderstofounders.com
SlotMaps - Beat Slots with AI (seriously) https://slotmaps.com
PokerHQ - Run your home game like a pro: https://pokerhq.io
https://x.com/artparmann
Justin's Links:
https://x.com/justinyoung07
Play poker with Justin on Phenom: https://play.phenompoker.com/register?r=JYPoker
Come Play Poker with us online & Get a 150% Deposit Bonus!
Sign up here
OR... Come play with us in Las Vegas at Table 1!
table1.vegas
Art (x.com/artparmann) and Justin (x.com/justinyoung07) sit down with Brock — a sharp mind who left a successful start in finance to chase something far riskier: his love for poker.
From spreadsheets to chip stacks, Brock’s story is one of obsession, resilience, and finding meaning in the game that never stops calling you back. Ride the swings as we talk bankrolls, burnout, and the beautiful chaos of going all in on what you love most.
Come Play Poker with Us. Sign up on Phenom (200% Deposit Bonus)
The true underdogs of online poker — and the only site where players get 50% of the rake back.
Or come play with us in Vegas: Table 1
Episode 96: Mike “The Grinder” Mizrachi
Mike “The Grinder” Mizrachi is chaos personified. He’s won millions, gone broke, won it back, and somehow always ends up in the biggest games. In this episode: why he plays fearless, how he handles going broke one week and rich the next, and the mindset that makes him unforgettable.
If you love poker, action, and wild life swings… you’ll love this one.
Show Notes
Grinder’s Links
Table 1 Links
Art’s Links
Justin’s Links
Come Play Poker with us online! The true underdogs of online poker (and the only site where the players get 50% of the rake right back in their pockets!)
OR...Come play with us in Las Vegas at Table 1! https://table1.vegas
Jeff Boski didn’t plan on being a YouTuber. He just wanted his mom to see what poker life looked like.
But that small idea turned into 100,000+ fans, sponsorships, and a front-row seat in the high-stakes world.
In this episode, Boski talks about:
This is the story of a guy who proved that sometimes, all you need to do is ask.
Come Play Poker with us online! The true underdogs of online poker (and the only site where the players get 50% of the rake right back in their pockets!)
Sign up here: https://play.phenompoker.com/register?r=Table1
OR… Come play with us in Las Vegas at Table 1! https://table1.vegas
Meet John Andress.Grew up outside Philly. Played lacrosse at Penn State. Obsessed over Counter-Strike.
Accidentally turned a Puerto Rico casino trip into an $8k “beer money” bankroll.
By senior year of college? $150k in his poker account.
Six months later? Nearly dusted it. Then hit for $60k at PCA and never looked back.
John has lived the full poker arc: Black Friday moves to Toronto, huge scores in Europe (including tilting Luke Schwartz in Prague), New York DJ lifestyle, Bay Area private games… and now? He’s running A5 Labs, a 200-person tech team building AI that hunts bots and collusion across online poker.
This episode is funny, wild, and brutally honest. It’s about how obsession becomes opportunity, how every poker player eventually faces the “what’s next” moment, and how John turned his into a career shaping the entire industry.
Show Notes The true underdogs of online poker (and the only site where the players get 50% of the rake right back in their pockets!)
Sign up here
OR... Come play with us in Las Vegas at Table 1!
https://table1.vegas
What do you get when you cross a 7-year-old playing poker at his great-grandpa’s funeral, an 18-year-old getting sent to max security, and a man who once ran a dice game out of a garage before he could drive?
You get Episode 93: Brian Green.
Texas-born. Prison-scarred. Bracelet-wearing.
Brian sits down with Art Parmann and Justin Young to tell one of the wildest life arcs you’ll ever hear—how he went from hustling on the streets to final tabling the $1M One Drop and cracking kings to win a WSOP bracelet.
🧠 But this episode isn’t just about bad beats and big wins.
It’s about how a guy who once lost $174K in minutes now pushes gratitude, positivity, andself-awareness in a game full of ego.
👊 Spoiler: He’s still a total degen. But now? He’s a thoughtful one.
📺 Subscribe now and watch a man tell his story like he plays the game: raw, real, and with nothing left in the tank.
Brian’s not perfect. He’s not polished. But damn, is he unforgettable.
Luke Schwartz is famous for outbursts and sh*t talking at the table. Today he gives @Art & @Justin a few miles in his shoes. And now our feet hurt!
But before we start, wouldn't this episode hit different if you were playing poker while you watch it? Maybe even sticking it in some poor guy's eye on the virtual felt? Join us on Phenom Poker and get paid while you watch.
The true underdogs of online poker (and the only site where the players get 50% of the rake right back in their pockets)
OR if you like live poker, come play with us in Vegas at Table 1!
You may know him as Full Flush, or that guy who stuck it in David Benyamine's eye. Luke's not afraid of a little smack talk (so much so he even got his chat privileges revoked back in the day). But here he is 15+ years later to tell you how he's been getting on.
He gives us the full run down of his gambling career — from finding beatable slot machines to running up (and down) big online accounts. He's the spirit animal of a lot of poker players out there. And he even shares how he once won a $100k push-up prop bet at a home game.
💡 Sit back and crack a cold one. You're gonna enjoy this.
Doug Polk clicked “Raise” and made millions.
Clicked “Upload” and built an army.
Taught the world how to win — then sold the playbook.
Now? He owns the card room too.
Doug Polk isn’t just playing poker.
He’s playing the whole damn game.
Speaking of making millions. Come play with us online at Phenom Poker!
The true underdogs of online poker (and the only site where the players get 50% of the rake right back in their pockets)
https://play.phenompoker.com/register...
OR Come play with us in Vegas at Table 1! (https://table1.vegas)
He roasted poker pros.
Built a brand off beef.
Bought a poker room.
Then in a surprise move he sold Upswing Poker to one of the biggest online poker operators in the world!
Code Doug indeed.
Now?
He’s not just creating content... he’s controlling the game.
This episode is fun, fast, honest, and loaded with behind-the-scenes stories that’ll make you say:
“Wait… he said that on air?!”
Go listen now before someone makes us takes it down.
Show Notes:
Doug's links:
Table 1 Links
The More Rake Is Better Giveaway at Phenom Poker: https://table1.vegas/rake
Play LIVE with us in Vegas at Table 1: https://table1.vegas
Episode 90: Crazy Mike
He's polarizing and he knows it. From HU Limit Holdem on a Navy ship to Heads Up Limit Holdem slot machines in Vegas, to learning mixed game poker at $300/$600 stakes. Mike's poker life has been a heads up session vs anyone that stands in his way. And he's here to tell his story.
Enjoy this conversation with a 1 of a kind man.
Show Notes
Table 1 Links
Art's Links:
Justin's Links:
Adam Hendrix just final tabled the WSOP Main Event for $1.9 million… but his story goes way deeper than one summer heater.
He joins @ArtParmann & @JustinYoung07 for a hilarious, insightful, and surprisingly emotional episode covering his epic run to the 2025 WSOP Main Event final table. From icy bachelor parties to underground cowboy home games, Elvis prop bets, and deep dives into high-stakes PLO — this one has everything.
🎮 Play with us Online: https://play.phenompoker.com/register?r=Table1
🎁 We’re giving away $175 per week in August! Details → https://table1.vegas/rake
🃏 Coming to Vegas? Play LIVE with us: https://table1.vegas
You’ll hear:
Plus:
#poker #wsop #wsop2025 #vegas #podcast
In back-to-back years, Matt Affleck was chip leader deep in the WSOP Main Event.
In 2010, with 15 players left and ~40% of the chips in play, he got it in with aces vs. jacks against Jonathan Duhamel… and watched the river end his dream on ESPN.
The image of him walking out — water bottle flying, pain on his face — became one of poker’s most replayed clips.
This is the story before and after that moment.
🎮 From a $480K SCOOP win in college to a high school where seven classmates became million-dollar poker winners.
🃏 The truth about back-to-back Main Event deep runs — including the hand.
🌎 Life after ESPN heartbreak: live cash grinds, world travel, and becoming one of poker’s top coaches.
If you only know Matt Affleck from that river card, you don’t know the full story.
The More Rake Is Better Giveaway at Phenom Poker: https://table1.vegas/rake
Play with us in Vegas at Table 1: https://table1.vegas
Aaron Mermelstein won a $50K online poker prize at age 15... and never saw a dollar of it.
In this week’s Table 1 Podcast, Merms opens up about everything — and we mean everything in a rare interview. From sneaking onto Party Poker as a teenager to going broke after discovering Vegas table games, it’s a rollercoaster of ambition, pain, and absurd poker highs and lows.
Show Notes:
00:00 Video Games To The Varkonyi Effect
03:18 Freeroll to Bankroll
07:10 Finding Table Games
11:57 Working vs Going Pro at Poker
19:12 The $100 Date
23:13 NY Poker Games & Backing Deals Gone Right
29:08 The Borgata WPT & Tourney Breaks
37:58 Post WPT Tourney Circuit
39:38 The Home Game Scene
44:34 Poker: The Great Equalizer
46:36 COVID & Game Running
49:45 Miami Life & The M Casino
48:42 Chip On The Shoulder High Roller
1:02:21 WSOP Main Event Run
1:10:38 Post Main Event & The Future!
Table 1 Links:
Play with Us In Vegas: https://table1.vegas
Play with us Online: https://play.phenompoker.com/register?r=Table1
Follow us on X: https://x.com/table1vegas
Follow us on Instagram: https://x.com/table1vegas
Watch us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@UCCXgQ2MnNidaOP-9PPTG6Sg
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3fkMXT5gsZxgHuDBxUcY59
Art's Links:
Learn to Beat Slots (Seriously) at SlotMaps: https://slotmaps.com
Run your own poker game at PokerHQ.io: https://pokerhq.io
https://x.com/ArtParmann
Justin's Links:
https://x.com/justinyoung07
The More Rake Is Better Giveaway: https://table1.vegas/rake
Play with us at Table 1: https://table1.vegas
Imagine this:
You’ve got $1,400 to your name. Twins on the way. You’re not a household name. And you’re trying to make it in the most brutal game on earth: tournament poker.
Most people fold. Jesse Lonis didn’t.
In this episode of the Table 1 Podcast, Jesse drops a heater of a story. It's got all the hits:
Oh — and $21M in live earnings later, he’s still real, raw, and building his brand without faking a damn thing.
This episode is grit + heart + humor in podcast form. You’ll walk away inspired, entertained, and probably Googling “Vanilla Gorilla Poker” just to see him in action.
👇 Hit play. You won’t regret it.
Show Notes
Jesse's Links:
https://x.com/JesseLonis
https://www.instagram.com/jesselonis
https://www.youtube.com/@JesseLonis
Table 1 Links:
https://table1.vegas
https://x.com/table1vegas
https://instagram.com/table1vegas
WSOP is over, but that doesn't mean the action stops at Table 1! Catch up with Art, Justin and get to know our special guests Paul Gunness & Jason Zipfel to talk about High Stakes Summer, our summer vlog. Haven't seen it? Watch it here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZdHHoUOK4gscENtoJO11AWuNyH1ElUe8&si=_B8J5B2tE7RoPL71Want to play online with Justin & Art? Find us on Phenom Poker. Use our link and you could win $100. Plus sometimes we do random giveaways to people we've referred. Sign up here: https://play.phenompoker.com/register?r=Table1Got the taste for high stakes? Play with us at Table 1! ➡️ https://table1.vegasFollow Paul: https://x.com/mrpaulgunnesshttps://www.instagram.com/mr.paulgunnessFollow Jason:https://www.instagram.com/jason_zipfe1Follow Art:https://x.com/artparmannFollow Justin:https://x.com/JustinYoung07Table 1 Links:https://table1.vegashttps://x.com/table1vegashttps://instagram.com/table1vegas
This isn’t just a poker story. It’s about second chances, addiction and recovery, underground private games, running a secret sports betting syndicate, and how Greg reinvented himself (and his obsession) into a growing sports card empire: Savage Breakers Club.
▶️ Topics Include:
👀 Whether you’re a poker player, entrepreneur, or just love comeback stories — this is one you won’t forget.
Show Notes:
Greg's Links:
Follow Savage Breakers Club: https://www.whatnot.com/s/ZGMOx9Cr
Table 1's Links:
Play with us on Phenom Poker: https://play.phenompoker.com/register?r=Table1
Play with us at Table 1: https://table1.vegas
Matt Salsberg isn’t your typical poker pro.
He wrote on Weeds. Sold scripts to Showtime, HBO, Amazon. Created a sitcom with Lee Majors. But just as it was about to take off… Hollywood did what Hollywood does.
Then came cancer. Then came the comeback.
This episode is a masterclass in storytelling, reinvention, and chasing edge — from scriptwriting rooms to final tables. Matt shares how he went from ghostwriting for Curb Your Enthusiasm to battling colon cancer and finishing 70th in the Main Event — all while pitching shows that networks weren’t ready for (but should’ve been).
🧠 If you’re into storytelling, poker, Hollywood drama, or what it means to take a shot when everything’s stacked against you… you’ll love this one.
Show Notes:https://x.com/table1vegas
https://instagram.com/table1vegas
https://table1.vegas
https://youtube.com/@table1vegas
It's hard enough to survive in the gambling world. But to survive for as many decades as Steve has is nothing short of incredible. He's seen it all. From Stu Unger beating his local gin club up at 13 years old.There's no way we got to all of the stories but we sure hit the highlight reel. Enjoy Episode 82 - Steve Zolotow (The Bald Eagle)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Like poker?Play with us online at Phenom Poker: https://joinphenompoker.comOr play with us in person at Table 1: https://table1.vegasSubscribe to the Table 1 newsletter. High Stakes Vegas. In Your Inbox. Https://Table1.beehiiv.com------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------📌 Timestamps: (Coming soon. Sorry it's WSOP and we're slow.)
In this special episode of Table One Podcast, Chris Brewer joins hosts Justin Young and Art Parmann to share his incredible journey from elite collegiate runner to high-stakes poker champion. Chris provides fascinating insights into the mental game of poker, revealing the highs and lows of competing at the top levels, including dealing with brutal downswings and capturing WSOP glory.
From hilarious anecdotes at Commerce Casino to strategic breakdowns of his WSOP bracelet wins, Chris offers a unique glimpse into the thrilling world of high-stakes poker.
📌 Timestamps:
♠️ Like poker?
Play with us online at Phenom Poker
Or play with us in person at Table 1
Subscribe to the Table 1 newsletter. High Stakes Vegas. In Your Inbox.
https://table1.beehiiv.com
In this episode of the Table One Podcast, legendary poker pro Ben Lamb joins Justin Young and Art Parman to reveal some of his wildest gambling stories. From a seemingly innocent flip that netted him $50,000 betting only $100 at a time, to accidentally mixing a $25,000 bottle of Macallan with Coke, Ben holds nothing back. Plus, relive the epic story of the $67,000 hole-in-one golf bet that left everyone stunned.Episode 80: Ben LambJoin us for a fun, casual, and insightful conversation that captures the high-stakes thrills and hilarious mishaps from one of poker's best.Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more episodes!#Poker #BenLamb #HighStakes #TableOnePodcast------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Like poker?Play with us online at Phenom Poker: https://joinphenompoker.comOr play with us in person at Table 1: https://table1.vegasSubscribe to the Table 1 newsletter. High Stakes Vegas. In Your Inbox. Https://Table1.beehiiv.com------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ben's Links: https://Yeet.comhttps://x.com/BenbaLamb------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Subscribe for more behind-the-scenes stories from the biggest names in poker and gambling.New episodes every week from Table 1 Podcasthttps://table1.vegasFollow us on Instagram: Instagram.com/table1vegasFollow us on Twitter: x.com/table1vegas#BenLamb #WSOP #PokerLegends #HighStakesPoker #Table1Podcast #GamblingStories
